Audio By Carbonatix
The General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has criticised National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) officers over what he describes as a disregard for due process in the recent attempt to invite a Member of Parliament for questioning.
This comes after operatives of the NIB stormed the home of Assin South MP and Ranking Member on Parliament's Interior and Defence Committee, Rev Ntim Fordjour, to execute an arrest warrant.
In an interview with the press at the home of the MP, Mr Kodua expressed his disappointment over how the situation was handled, describing the chaos that erupted as “needless and unwarranted.”
According to him, Ghana is a country governed by the rule of law, not the rule of men, and therefore, appropriate legal procedures should have been followed in inviting a sitting Member of Parliament.
Read also: ‘Suspicious flight’ saga: NIB operatives storm Ntim Fordjour’s residence to execute arrest warrant
“We are a country governed by the rule of law, not the rule of men. As a Member of Parliament, there are clear constitutional provisions and procedures by which an MP can be invited. The first question we want to ask the current administration is: Was that process followed? The answer is no.”
Mr Kodua further argued that if the authorities were acting in good faith, they would have written officially to the Speaker of Parliament to request the MP’s appearance before any security agency, in line with constitutional requirements, "but not this ‘rambo-style’ approach.”
He questioned why the government would choose to create such tension over an invitation when no crime had been committed by the MP involved.
“In fact, the chaos this morning was unnecessary. If the MP has not committed any crime, then this approach was totally uncalled for. At this point, we are even expecting the government to commend him, not harass him,” he added.
Rev Ntim Fordjour has alleged that two aircraft, which recently landed in the country, were involved in money laundering and illicit drug trafficking. He has since called on the government to investigate the matter and address the public on the issue.
Following his statement in a press briefing at Parliament, the government's spokesperson, Felix Kwakye-Ofosu, responded, refuting the allegations and describing his comments as false.
He explained that the aircraft had landed in the country due to minor technical faults and other legitimate reasons.
The development has since sparked political tension between the two major parties, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Latest Stories
-
Prosecution witness alleges Chairman Wontumi ordered mining in protected Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve
28 minutes -
31 people dead after bus crashes in Ethiopia
30 minutes -
G7 leaders meet in France with Iran and Ukraine high on agenda
36 minutes -
South Africa marks 50 years since Soweto uprising amid modern youth crisis
40 minutes -
Engineer calls for greater citizen responsibility in tackling Ghana’s flood crisis
45 minutes -
GRA targets informal sector with modified tax scheme
46 minutes -
Embed climate education in national climate policies—AGN Chair
53 minutes -
Eight dead after US Air Force B-52 bomber crashes in California
59 minutes -
Ken Ofori-Atta’s lawyers claim US immigration court has approved his Green Card application
60 minutes -
Ghana records weakest Q1 budget execution since 2017 as consolidation bites
1 hour -
NPP accuses government of selective justice, warns against interference in Sedina Tamakloe’s sentence
1 hour -
Ashaiman Police arrest two suspects over separate armed robbery attacks
1 hour -
Port charges hindering access to donated medicines, cancer charity warns
2 hours -
See the areas that will be affected by ECG’s planned maintenance on Tuesday
2 hours -
Mahama’s lean government claim misleading when full appointments are considered – Jinapor
2 hours